VANDERPUMP Rules stars Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz have split after more than 12 years together as she feels he ‘didn’t step up’ as her husband.
The couple have fueled breakup rumors for weeks after the podcast host shared cryptic quotes about divorce and showed off photos that emphasize her without a wedding ring.
Now, a source close to Katie, 35, and Tom, 39, exclusively told The Celeb Report that while they have been “flip-flopping” whether or not to stay in their relationship, they are currently spending time apart.
“Katie and Tom have split and gotten back together and split and gotten back together. They’re currently not together, no.
“She’s doing her own thing right now,” the insider claimed.
They continued: “They flip-flop. They’re still cordial and see each other and go to the same events because of their mutual friend group but they just focus on themselves.
“She hasn’t filed for divorce yet but it’s been discussed. They’re just taking time apart right now and seeing what happens.”
The source added that the cause of the split is “Katie’s story to tell” and ultimately, the time apart is “her decision.”
“She feels the fault is on him and he had his chances to be better but he didn’t step up to the challenge.
“Now she is focused on her own happiness , something that wasn’t prioritized in their marriage.”
A rep for Tom did not respond to The Celeb Report’s request for comment.
Last week, Vanderpump Rules fans noticed Katie shared images that highlighted her bare hand without her wedding ring on.
Many agreed that the decision was a sign her marriage was in trouble.
One person wrote: “Maybe they’re doing a trial separation right now to see if they want to stay together for real or not.”
However, some fans wondered if Katie and Tom haven’t split and are instead pretending there’s trouble in paradise to create a storyline for the upcoming season of the Bravo show.
ALL FOR SHOW?
A skeptic commented: “She was at TomTom with Schwartz over the weekend. They are together, just trying to make a storyline for season 10.”
Another wrote: “An even better storyline for season 10 would be them divorcing.”
“Y’all are reading into this too much lol. Katie doesn’t wear her wedding rings ALL the time.
“In fact, she got a newer (pretty ugly) ring for her Vegas wedding to Schwartz that I’ve NEVER seen her wear,” another said.
The speculation also comes after Katie dropped another clue in February that there was trouble in paradise within her marriage.
Katie seemingly hinted at her split from Tom when she shared a quote from Kim Kardashian on her Instagram Story.
KIM-SPIRATION
The quote read: “In the last two years, I decided I’m going to make myself happy. And that feels really good.”
The Keeping Up With The Kardashian alum continued: “And even if that created changes and caused my divorce, I think it’s important to be honest with yourself about what really makes you happy.”
She concluded: “I’ve chosen myself. I think it’s okay to choose you.”
The Vanderpump Rules star appeared to have agreed with Kim as she captioned the post: “Amen.”
After Katie shared the post, fans rushed to Reddit to wonder if it was a clue that her marriage to Tom is over.
One user said: “I would love to live in a world where Katie dumps Shwartz and thrives.”
Katie tied-the-knot to the TomTom co-founder in 2016 after dating since 2010.
Although they initially had a romantic ceremony, it was discovered years later that the couple never officially filed their documents with the court so they were not legally married.
In 2019, they partook in a smaller Las Vegas ceremony with their cast mates where they finally sealed the deal with the proper paperwork.
Throughout their 12-years together, many of their highs and lows played out on-camera – including his infidelity.
Tom was caught cheating on Katie during a trip to New York City – which played out during season six of the show.
Though he has since apologized for the “really douchey” move, fans have insisted that his past cheating and his ongoing treatment toward Katie is “toxic” and have encouraged her to call it quits.
